At least he's got his health

Cortland quarterback Dan Pitcher, right, used to
have his brother, Matt, in front of him. But his season ended with
an injury and Mike Wutzer, left, now plays right
guard.
Photo by Matt Milless, d3photography.com

By Andrew Lovell
for D3football.com

Cortland State quarterback Dan Pitcher has a lot more to be
thankful for this Thanksgiving than a heaping plate of turkey and
stuffing.

His team is in the second round of the NCAA playoffs, he has a
starting job and, finally, he has his health.

Up until this season, it seemed like the injury bug had not just
bitten Pitcher, but latched on for good.

A lingering hamstring injury stalled his first year of
collegiate football at Division I Colgate in 2005. After two more
years at Colgate, which included one more redshirt than passes
thrown in a regular season game for Pitcher, the 6-foot, 200-pound
right-handed signal caller transferred to his hometown college,
Cortland State.

In his first season with the Red Dragons in 2008, Pitcher
completed 15 of his 25 passes as Ray Miles' backup. Miles graduated
the following spring, leaving the starting job Pitcher's to
lose.

As it turns out, it would be taken from him. The injury bug bit
again.

During the fourth quarter of Cortland's second game of the
season, a win against Rowan, Pitcher settled in the pocket and
looked to run up the middle on a quarterback draw. When he planted
his feet, Pitcher collapsed. The impact was enough to severely
damage his Achilles’ tendon, once again ending his season
prematurely because of an injury.

It also set off a game of musical chairs, Cortland
State-quarterback style. The Red Dragons went through two other
starters and three other signal-callers total in a disappointing
7-4 season.

It's hardly a coincidence that with a healthy Pitcher, Cortland
has improved to 10-1 and, with a win Saturday against Alfred, could
match its deepest playoff run in school history.

"Dan's really a mature guy," said Cortland State head coach Dan
MacNeill. "... It's not easy to deal with what he has. I know he's
enjoying this year."

As well he should be. Pitcher's numbers (137-for-239, 1,583
yards, 16 touchdowns, nine interceptions) won't wow you on the
surface. But it's certainly noteworthy that Pitcher's 16 touchdowns
are tied for fifth most in school history for a single season.

Pitcher also established a school record by throwing a touchdown
in 11 consecutive games, a streak that started at the end of the
2009 season and came to an end in a win against Ithaca in this
year's Cortaca Jug matchup.

"He can certainly throw a pretty ball, but I think the decisions
Dan makes are his strongest suit," MacNeill said. "Our offensive
coordinator [Greg Roskos] will sometimes say [Pitcher] thinks too
much. But really it's like having another coach out there."

Pitcher might win pretty – 13-for-21, 224 yards, four
touchdowns against The College of New Jersey – and he might
win ugly – 4-for-14, 63 yards, one touchdown against William
Paterson – but he wins. Period.

Cortland is 12-1 in games started by the 23-year-old Pitcher,
who even still has one more year of eligibility left after this
season. For that mark to improve to 13-1, Pitcher will likely have
to put together a solid game against a capable Alfred squad. But he
won't have to do it all by himself.

In his first season as starter, Autera has done things rarely
– if ever – seen by a Cortland player. His 1,324
rushing yards rank third on Cortland's single-season list, while
his 18 rushing touchdowns rank second. Autera also established a
Cortaca Jug record by rushing for 232 yards, the most by any player
from either school in the rivalry's 50-plus year history.

"He's just electric with the ball," MacNeill said of Autera, the
NJAC's co-offensive player of the year. "He's got incredible speed.
For him to win [offensive player of the year] as a sophomore is
really a great accomplishment."

And he’s done it without one prominent offensive line
starter, Dan Pitcher’s brother, Matt Pitcher, who started at
right guard but was lost for the season after an injury in the loss
to Rowan on Oct. 16.

Alfred counters with its own stud underclassman running back in
freshman Austin Dwyer.

Coming into the season, Alfred coach Dave Murray wasn't sure how
his team would replace the production of Vinson Hendrix, the
second-leading rusher in school history. He figured it would take
two, maybe three backs to rotate the carries.

It quickly became evident that Dwyer wasn't interested in
sharing.

Dwyer broke out with 168 rushing yards and two touchdowns in a
key win against Springfield in the Saxons' third game and never
looked back. Through 11 games this season, Dwyer has 1,204 rushing
yards and seven touchdowns.

"Austin just emerged against Springfield," Murray said. "I think
one of the best things about Austin is that he plays his best
against the best opponents."

Dwyer piled up 162 yards on the ground in a key win against St.
John Fisher and gashed Ithaca for 273 yards in an Empire 8
title-clinching win late in the season.

Dwyer will face his stiffest test yet against Cortland, which
boasts one of the country's top defenses.

Cortland's scoring defense (10.3 points per game) and total
defense (226.3 yards per game) both rank fifth in the country.
Cortland also only allows an average of 78.8 yards per game on the
ground, good for 16th in the country.

On paper it would appear to be a classic case of an immovable
object against an unstoppable force.

"Defensively, they're one of the best in country, without
question," Murray said. "There's no doubt in my mind that it will
come down to who wins the line of scrimmage, controls the line of
scrimmage on both offense and defense. That will be critical."

One week after the Red Dragons lost Pitcher for the season in
2009, they lost their anchor on the defensive line, Lou Crispo.

But the 6-foot-1, 280-pound defensive tackle has made up for
lost time with a dominant season, collecting 54 tackles and four of
Cortland State's school-record nine blocked kicks.

Along with senior defensive end Evan Wyler, who has overcome the
severe limitations of lingering knee problems to post 48 tackles
and one and a half sacks, the Red Dragons have no shortage of
inspiring stories.

"Evan's been limited pretty much all year because of the knee
injury," MacNeill said. "It's been tough on him emotionally. He's
one of those guys that will be watching practice and say, 'Coach, I
can [play].' And goddammit he just might. He's that type of
kid."

Aside from the usual bumps and bruises that come with playing
this deep into the season, the Saxons are healthy. Alfred, led by
junior quarterback Tom Secky (197-for-319, 2,429 yards, 25
touchdowns, 13 interceptions) and senior wide receiver Ryan Thon
(66 receptions, 871 yards, 15 touchdowns), has finally tasted a win
in the NCAA playoffs – last week's 60-0 romp over SUNY
Maritime was the first playoff win in school. Now the team is
focused on becoming a perennial threat.

"Last year I think there was a certain amount of excitement to
just be there," Murray said. "It's always great to qualify. The
team had never won an NCAA game, so that was important. ... But
certainly this is where we want to be every year."

The Cortland-Alfred winner will advance to face the Mount
Union-Delaware Valley College winner. Mount Union ended Cortland's
best season with a 41-14 win over the Red Dragons in the 2008 NCAA
quarterfinals.